Life as I Know It
by miyazawa kano
Summary: [AU] What would Haruno Sakura's life be like if she were just a normal teenage girl? May turn out Sasusaku. Please R&R! NOTE: FIRST THREE CHAPTERS HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY REWRITTEN!
1. Another Monday Morning

**Life as I Know It** by miyazawa kano.

Well, I guess this is my first fic here on I kind of just wrote it on the spot. I'm still not very sure about how it's going to turn out, or if I'll even bother to write a chapter two, heh. (Actually... I've never really completed a fic before.) Umm, one thing you should know about my writing... I like to leave a lot to the imagination. Ahahah, yeah.

This story is basically my take on what Haruno Sakura's life would be like if she were just a normal teenage girl. Yeah, it's an A/U fic. Sorry if there's a bit of OOC-ness.

**UPDATE (03/05/04):** Repost! Making improvements.

'…' = What's going on inside Sakura's head.  
"…" = Your basic, normal, everyday chatter.  
[ … ] = The mildly insane ramblings of the lovable Inner Sakura.  
(…) = Random notes left by the authoress.  
  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Naruto_. Honest.

* * *

**Chapter I: **Another Monday Morning  
  
Sakura felt the sunlight as it filtered in through the window and trickled onto the thick carpet of her bedroom floor, tickling at her heavy eyelids. Somewhere outside, a sparrow sang its morning melody. The sweet aroma of freshly brewed coffee had somehow wafted its way up the stairs and into her room. Sakura inhaled deeply, letting the scent fill her nostrils. Mmm, exhale.

Ahh, caffeine... she could definitely use some of that right now.

'If it weren't for the fact that today is Monday,' Sakura thought pointedly, 'this morning would be absolutely perfect.'  
  
Two more minutes of sleep couldn't hurt. Or three more minutes. Or four. Or hey, maybe even five. If she was going to sleep an extra four minutes, sneaking in a fifth minute couldn't hurt, right? Sakura pulled the quilted covers over her head, effectively blocking out any unwanted sunshine. And as she felt her consciousness begin to slip away once more…

"Sakura, it's time to get up!"

Okay, fine. Just three more minutes then.

"Sakura...?!"

Aw, come on. Pretty please?

"SAKURA!"

Life is so unfair.

Sakura grabbed one end of her thick comforter and flung it aside and she half-heartedly swung her feet over the edge of her twin mattress. After wrenching the door open and stepping despondently out into the corridor, Sakura stole one last, longing glance at her unmade, still-more-than-inviting bed.

It was calling to her. Reaching for her, even. Forcing her to…

"Sakura, are you up yet?!" her mother's voice called shrilly, abruptly breaking her previous train of thought.

"Hai!"  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Sakura's fingers deftly moved from button to button, quickly fastening the remaining few. She smoothed out the loose wrinkles of her plain white blouse, peering this way and that as she stared hard at the vanity mirror. When it came to appearance, Sakura liked to have everything just right. She adjusted her pleated tan skirt so it sat perfectly on her slim waist, accentuating a well-kept figure. After neatly tucking her shirttails and carefully tying the usual red bow just beneath her collar, Sakura slipped on a matching tan blazer – the Konoha Middle School emblem proudly emblazoning the front.

'There,' Sakura thought contently, as she delicately smoothed her glossy, unusually pink hair into place. 'Perfect.'

Satisfied, Sakura hastily exited her bedroom and bounded down the staircase, satchel in hand. Her heavy bag thudded loudly on the hardwood floor as she dropped it next to the front entrance and made her way into the kitchen. Inside, her mother greeted her with a fleeting glance, eyes just visible over the top of the newspaper held up in front of her.

"So I see you finally decided to get up," Mama said, eyes still glued to the printed pages of the _Tokyo Shimbun_.

"Good morning, Mama," dryly replied Sakura, who had long since learned to ignore her mother's smug remarks. After pouring herself a steaming cup of hot coffee, she began lathering a piece of toast with peanut-butter and jam.

"Oh, right. Honey, listen, I'm working late tonight. I'm going to leave this pork to defrost here, so do you think you can have dinner ready by the time I get home?"

"Mmm."  
  
"Oh, and Auntie Tsukino is dropping by around five o'clock to pick up those movies we borrowed from her last week. I left them all on the coffee table, so make sure you return them to her, okay?"

"Mmm."

"Sakura, are you even listening to me?"  
  
This was the way almost every morning began in the Haruno household. Mama would always be working late for one reason or another. And then she would ask Sakura to make dinner, and expect her to finish up the household chores and any other menial tasks that had to be done. Sakura never had any time to hang out with her friends like the other girls at school; Mama seemed to have an astoundingly negative effect on her social life.

Wait. _What_ social life?

As if Mama would ever allow her to partake in something as enjoyable as having her very own social life.

"Sakura?"  
  
"Oh… yes, Mama?" Sakura stuttered suddenly, realizing that she had once again managed to unintentionally tune out her mother's voice.

"I just don't know what I'm going to do with you!" Mama grumbled, just loud enough for Sakura to hear.

'Nag, nag, nag.'

Sakura nibbled on the last bit toast she had left. She could already tell that today was going to be another one of those days. Well, it figured; it _was_ Monday, after all. She sucked a small, stray globule of sugary jam off the end of her index finger. Being home by five o'clock inevitably meant having to disappoint Ino again, Sakura realized dejectedly. The two of them had originally planned to do a little shopping at the Daiba 1-chome Shopping Mall after school.

'Ugh, why does Auntie need the movies back today of all days?' Sakura thought huffily.

Yep. It was definitely going to be one of those days.

But at least she still had something to look forward to; or rather, _someone_ to look forward to. And to her, this someone made every step worth taking, every breath worth breathing, and every moment worth living. Sakura's heart seemed to flutter at the very thought.

Uchiha Sasuke.

* * *

**End of Chapter I; to be continued.**

I hope that was okay. Sorry, I know my writing is kind of sloppy and pieced together. Hopefully this rewrite is better than the original! I added three or four extra paragraphs in there and changed a bunch of stuff. I'll be rewriting chapters two and three soon, I promise!


	2. The Best Day of the Week

**Life as I Know It** by miyazawa kano.

I got a few more ideas and decided to go on with the story. Um, yay? Haha, actually, I just wanted to keep writing something... ANYTHING. I seriously need the practice. So yeeeeah. Just so you know, the chapters I write are probably always going to be short. It's because I get bored easily, LOL. I'm sorry! It's, ah, an Arien thing. I swear it is!

**UPDATE (24/05/04):** Repost! Fixing things. Sorry it took so long!

'…' = What's going on inside Sakura's head.  
"…" = Your basic, normal, everyday chatter.  
[ … ] = The mildly insane ramblings of the lovable Inner Sakura.  
(…) = Random notes left by the authoress.

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own _Naruto_. Honest.**

* * *

**

**Chapter II:** The Best Day of the Week  
  
The commuter train lurched silently forwards as it slowly decelerated to a complete stop. Sakura began to feel excruciatingly suffocated as a new crowd of on-the-go passengers emerged from behind the train's automatic doors and crowded into the small car.

'I hate commuting to school,' Sakura thought irately as the doors slid shut and the train began to pick up speed once more. 'I really, really do.'

The car rocked to and fro with each subtle turn of the commuter. Sakura found herself indecently sandwiched between another schoolgirl about her age and a rather stately-looking businessman who, in her opinion, seemed to appear oddly misplaced. Out of pure habit, Sakura used her free hand to tightly grip one of the looped handles hanging from the ceiling rails. The train car was so jam-packed that she wasn't even sure if it were possible to trip or stumble; the worst one could was lose their balance and lean impolitely on the person standing behind them before regaining their poise.

In this case, it would have been the stately-looking businessman.

'What's a distinguished guy like him doing, riding a commuter train to work?' Sakura wondered absently. 'Couldn't he just afford–…'

A hand leisurely crept up the back of her thigh and comfortably planted itself on her rear-end.

Sakura's eyes widened, allowing her to clearly express a mixture of both shock and repugnance. 'CH-CH… CHIKAN! AHHHH!' (_Chikan_ is basically a derogatory Japanese term used to describe dirty old men who like to grope unsuspecting female commuters.)

Sakura rounded furiously on the offending groper, embarrassed for having been forced to undergo such vulgar treatment, and found herself staring straight into the face of the aforementioned businessman. Smoldering, she heatedly shot the flustered chikan the best death-glare she could muster.

"And just WHAT," Sakura hissed, "do you think you're doing?! PERVERT! [YOU DIE NOW.]"

She'd caught him red-handed. Some commuters began to stare rather curiously, whispering silently among themselves. Others, most notably the female passengers, backed away from the businessman, eyeing him warily. The chikan began to unconsciously tug at his shirt collar; a thin sheen of sweat could be seen on his forehead as he uncomfortably shifted his weight from one leg to the other.

"Wh-what are you talking about? I don't understand," he mumbled nervously.

"[OH, PLEASE. There's no denying it now, you dirty old man!] OI, MINNA-SAN! THIS GUY JUST TOUCHED MY BUTT!"

The crowd backed away conspicuously.

"THAT'S N-NOT TRUE! Who would want to touch an undeveloped little girl like you?!"

"HEY, WHO ARE YOU CALLING UNDEVELOPED?! I'll have you know that I'm already THIRTEEN."

"You little teeny-boppers are always trying to attract attention to yourselves! Why don't you just leave me alone?"

"Um, EXCUSE YOU?! Stop trying to deny it, you perv! Why else would a guy like you be riding a commuter train to work? Uh, hmm… DUH, TO FEEL UP SCHOOLGIRLS, that's what!"

The other passengers watched with amusement as the two continued their exchange of insults and comebacks. Sakura, so immersed in the heat of battle, failed to notice the small, feeble figure approaching her, silently working its way through the swarm of commuters. Suddenly, Sakura felt someone tug delicately at the sleeve of her blazer.

"A-ano, Sakura-san…?"

Having heard her name spoken, Sakura turned away from the frazzled chikan to face the young girl standing beside her. "Ah, Hinata-san! Sorry, I didn't see you there…"

"Oh, no, that's okay… I-I just wanted to remind you that this is our stop…" her classmate stuttered quietly.

Sakura blinked, realizing she hadn't even noticed that the train had come to a full stop. As if on queue, the car's automatic doors slid open, followed shortly by the usual gusting whoosh. Smiling weakly, Sakura mutely followed Hinata out onto the station platform.   
She spared the perverted businessman, who was looking rather relieved to see her go, a last glance and threateningly pointed a vengeful finger at him.

"If I ever see you riding this train again, you are SO busted. [DAMN STRAIGHT.]"

The doors slid shut and the train sped away. Sakura turned to look for Hinata, and was a little more than surprised to find her classmate staring straight back at her, eyes filled with admiration.

"Um… Is there something wrong?" Sakura said uncomfortably, finding it a little hard to speak with Hinata gazing at her so forcefully.

"Th-the way you stood up to that guy," Hinata fumbled, looking for the right words, "… That was so great!"

"Oh, that. It was nothing; I'm sure anyone else would've done the same thing," Sakura replied, starting to feel a little embarrassed.

"N-no. Not everyone… That same guy… He was, ah, bothering me on the same train last week… But I was too afraid to say anything to him…" Hinata's eyes were cast downwards.

"Ahh! Hinata-san, that's just wrong! He has absolutely NO right to touch you like that, okay? You've just got to say no! Doing nothing will only encourage creeps like him."

"I-I know! I'm trying… I'm really trying, but it's hard for me to… um…"

"Hey, listen. Why don't we start taking the train together or something? That way we could look out for each other. How's that?"

"H-hontou desu ka? Thank you so much, Sakura-san!"

"No problem."

"I hope that I'll be able to be more like you someday…"

Sakura gave Hinata a supportive smile. She'd never really thought of herself as role-model material before. Well, sure, she wasn't afraid to stand up for herself or for her friends. But she definitely was _not_ the sort of person people would look up to or aspire to be… Was she? Sakura daintily tucked some of her hair behind her ears.

'I guess you learn something new everyday, huh?' Sakura thought, smiling secretively.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Sakura collapsed heavily into her seat, breathing hard. She unceremoniously brushed the sweat from her furrowed brow; Hinata and her had just barely gotten to their respective classes on time. Unbeknownst to them, a brand new construction site had been set up over the weekend, barring the two girls from their usual route to Konoha. They'd been forced to take a rather lengthy detour, costing them a precious fifteen minutes. By the time Sakura and Hinata had reached the second last block from their school, they'd broken into an all-out run.  
  
Suddenly forgetting her previous misfortune, Sakura automatically began to scan the room. Her eyes darted left and right, desperately seeking him out. Dark hair, soulful eyes, perfect face, and that GODLY body of his... Where _was_ he?  
  
"Actually, Sasuke-kun's not here yet."  
  
Ino giggled girlishly as she took her usual seat, next to Sakura's. Yamanaka Ino and Sakura had been best friends for as long as either of them could remember; the two of them were virtually inseparable. They fit together like two pieces of the same puzzle… Ino's unsullied composure could make up for Sakura's impulsiveness, while Sakura's head for strategy complimented Ino's ambitious drive. Nothing would ever tear them apart, Sakura had thought resolutely.  
  
"Who said I was looking for Sasuke-kun?" she replied distractedly, a pinkish hue beginning to colour her fair complexion, "I was just... ah, looking to see if Iruka-sensei was already here!"  
  
The corners of Ino's lips curled upward and took on a rather devious smirk. "Oh, please. It's SO obvious. Come on, Sakura-chan, I know you better than that. Don't think you can hide it from me!"  
  
"Hehe."  
  
Okay, so it was true. The first thing Sakura did when she came to class was look for Sasuke. It had become something of a routine, really. Well, it made sense: she'd been hung up on Sasuke since the time she'd first laid eyes on him. He was so perfect. No, for real. He was LITERALLY perfect. Their school's brightest student, most valued athlete, the class rep, you name it. Not to mention the fact that he was also the dream-guy of nearly every teenage girl attending Konoha Middle School. ["His picture is pasted in the dictionary next to the word ULTIMATE HOTNESS... or, er, something like that. Um, is ULTIMATE HOTNESS a word?"] And as much as Sakura longed for him, she was able to satisfy herself by adoring him from afar. What else was there for her to do? After all, he was Uchiha Sasuke. He was _untouchable_.  
  
"Really, Sakura. How many years have you been after that same guy? If you never plan on telling him how you feel, maybe you should just move on with your life," Ino said matter-of-factly, deftly twirling her favourite pink pen between her delicate fingers  
  
Sakura blushed again. "You know, sometimes I really wish I could… But it just doesn't work that way! I bet I could try talking myself out of loving him all night, and I'd just wake up the next day feeling exactly the same way I did before. Um, you know what I mean…?"  
  
"Jeez, Sakura, you've got it bad," Ino sighed exasperatedly. "Hey, what about that guy… Um, what's his name again... Naruto? Yeah, Naruto. You've practically got him wrapped around your little finger. He's so totally in love with you."  
  
"Oh, spare me, would you? That kid is NOT in love with me!"  
  
Okay, maybe that wasn't so true. Sakura was well aware of Uzumaki Naruto's feelings for her. More than aware… Frankly, if Naruto had suddenly promulgated to her his undying love, whilst seizing Sakura into a passionate embrace, it wouldn't have made his affections for her any less clear. Sakura had thought it a tad flattering at first. She'd caught him glancing in her direction more than once, his eyes transmitting a yearning hope. It was a little unnerving, but nothing she couldn't handle. But soon after, Naruto began to lay in wait, "bumping" into Sakura every time she rounded a corner or walked out of a classroom. ["Little bugger must've memorized my timetable, or something."] He would then proceed to goad her into awkward conversations about the weather, or about that great goal he'd scored during PE. Sakura had since learned to lay low. Uzumaki's little "crush" had gone from being tolerable to being downright creepy. It made Sakura feel as though she were some choice morsel that Naruto was preparing to pounce on.   
  
Once Sakura had even caught Naruto following her home, like some sort of stray dog. She'd really put her foot down that day; enough was enough! The intense confrontation that followed went a little something like this:

_"Quit following me! What are you, some kind of stalker?!"_

_"Huh? Are you talking to me?"_

_"Yes, YOU. I'm looking straight at you, aren't I?"_

_"Well, yeah. But I'm not following you."_

_"Yes, you are."_

_"No, I'm not."_

_"Okay, if you're not following me home, then where are you going? I've never seen you around here before."_

_"… Ahh… umm… I'm going to, uh, Ichiraku Ramen… Yeah!"_

_"Ichiraku is in the opposite direction from here, genius."_

_"Oh yeah…"_

_"…"_

_"Well, I guess I'd better be going then. Thanks for your help, Sakura_-chan_."_

_"[UM, WHAT?] … Whatever. If I ever catch you following me again, I'll pound your ass into the ground, you dig?!"_

_"… Did anyone ever tell you that you look sort of cute when you're angry?"_

_"[EXPLETIVE, EXPLETIVE, EXPLETIVE.] JUST GO HOME."_

Annoying little cretin.  
  
"Look, Sakura-chan," Ino whispered suddenly, gently nodding her head in the direction of the classroom door.  
  
Unwelcome memories of Uzumaki soon lay forgotten. Sakura felt her heart skip a beat as Sasuke stepped into the classroom. His perfect hair seemed to glisten healthily under the fluorescent lighting as he swiveled his head, searching. He quickly sat at his desk, exactly five empty seats (their owners were to be found on the other side of the room, with their buddies, prattling on about the weekend) down from Sakura. Shamelessly, she made sure there was no time wasted in using the opportunity to discretely admire his well-developed physique.  
  
Suddenly, Sasuke turned, casting his dark-eyed gaze on her. Sakura's stomach was immediately swarmed by a legion of butterflies. Had he caught her gawking at him? Her mind began to race with the possibilities.

'Why is he looking this way?' Sakura thought nervously. 'Is he going to talk to me? Maybe he's not really looking at me. Maybe he's just looking in this general direction. Yes, that would explain it. Hey, has his jaw line always been that perfect? How could I not have noticed his jaw line before? Okay, I need to stop thinking. Just stop thinking.'

"Oi, Sakura-san…" came his deep, resonating voice.

Teetering on the brink, just about ready to faint. "Yes?" Sakura squeaked.  
  
"Is Iruka-sensei here yet?" Sasuke asked, casually brushing the hair from his eyes.  
  
"Uh... n-n-no... He's not here y-yet…"   
  
"Oh, okay. Domo." He turned back again, facing the front of the class.  
  
He knew her name. Which, in turn, meant that he knew that she existed. In a room swelling with about thirty or so other students, Sasuke had picked her out. He'd noticed her... No, he'd _chosen_ her. ["And he also has a perfect jaw line."] Instead of asking any one of those other thirty students, he'd chosen Haruno Sakura.

Monday was now officially the best day of the week. ["Or at least the best day of THIS week, anyway."]

* * *

**End of Chapter II; to be continued.**

Again, sorry about any OOC-ness. I'm really trying to keep the characters true to the original story, but I need to embellish a few things here and there for the sake of what little plot there is right now. Please R&R!


	3. Be My Partner

**Life as I Know It** by miyazawa kano.

I really should be doing my Social Studies homework right about now. I should be, but I'm not going to. Yeah, I don't like my Social Studies teacher. Seriously, that guy just loves to hear himself talk. Okay, so why did I just start talking about my Social Studies teacher again? Umm. Oh, and as per Saori-Hime's request, I'll actually be using capital letters from now on. I really should have, from the beginning. But I didn't; I get like that sometimes, you know. I fixed the first two chapters as well.

**UPDATE (28/06/04):** The last repost!

'…' = What's going on inside Sakura's head.  
"…" = Your basic, normal, everyday chatter.  
[ … ] = The mildly insane ramblings of the lovable Inner Sakura.  
(…) = Random notes left by the authoress.

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own _Naruto_. Honest.

* * *

**  
Chapter III:** Be My Partner

Sakura watched as the second hand of the clock stroked twelve and continued its perpetual ticking. One. Two. Three. She stifled a yawn for the umpteenth time.

Class would end in another thirty-two minutes and forty-seven seconds.

She tore her bleary eyes away from the hands of the clock and allowed her gaze to fall back upon Asuma-sensei. The rhythmic drone of his voice was like a jaded lullaby, willing Sakura's eyelids to shut. She spotted Nara Shikamaru a few desks away, his head comfortably cradled in the crook of his elbow. She could tell that he was sleeping; the even rise and fall of back was a dead giveaway.

'I wish that _I_ could just sleep for the next half hour,' Sakura thought wearily, 'but I still remember what Asuma-sensei did the _last_ time he caught Shikamaru-san napping during class.' An involuntary chill ran down her spine. ["Man, that dude's got GUTS."]

A sudden movement caught her eye. Was that someone waving at her? Sakura turned to look, curious to see who it was that was so desperate to draw her attention.

Naruto.

He winked. She cringed.

Sakura turned her back on him disdainfully, hoping that Naruto would get the message: NOT INTERESTED. ["Creepy little freak."]

After regaining her composure, Sakura resumed her previous tedium. She let her eyes wander unhurriedly across the room until they landed upon Uchiha Sasuke. ["He's probably the only person who's actually LISTENING to Asuma-sensei right now."] She was immediately reminded of what had taken place just earlier that morning. Speaking with Sasuke one-on-one… it was like some sort of otherworldly dream. Sakura began to slip into a euphoric trance as she let the waff (an acronym for "warm and fuzzy feeling," in case you didn't know) loosen her grip on reality.

'Maybe he'll start speaking with me more often now,' she thought hopefully.

Sakura had so often fantasized about the life that she and Sasuke would someday share together that she had practically honed her daydream to perfection. In her mind, she had carefully laid out the path that their love would take. It would begin as a simple friendship that would eventually bloom into a prosperous relationship. Sasuke would confess to her his everlasting love, and seal the deal with a scorching kiss that would remain etched into both their memories forever. They would get married and have a fabulously extravagant wedding; Ino would be her best woman, of course. And after a year or two, Sasuke and her would start a family… they would start _making_ a family. Sakura blushed furiously at the thought.

A sharp nudge in the ribs quickly snapped Sakura out of her reverie. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw what was undoubtedly Ino's hand furtively slide a note onto her side of the workbench. Passing notes during classes was like a ritual between the two of them. _Especially_ when classes started getting dull.

_Why does Asuma-sensei always have to make Science class so boring?_ the note read.

Sakura quickly scribbled down a reply and slipped the note back to Ino.

_To hurt us._

She saw her friend smirk at the conclusiveness of her response.

_Hey, are we still going shopping today?_

_Ugh, I'm sorry, I totally forgot to tell you! I can't go anymore; my mom wants me home as soon as I'm finished with all of my classes. I'm really sorry, Ino._

_What, again? Doesn't she ever let you out of that house? Well, that's okay. I understand._

"Minna-san," Asuma-sensei's sudden interjection stopped Sakura from jotting down yet another reply. "To finish off our Biology unit, I'm going to be assigning you a brand new project."

The class groaned audibly.

"I'm glad to see that all of you sound so enthusiastic," Asuma grunted. "I'll be breaking all of you down into pairs. And don't bother asking me if you can switch partners with someone else, because my answer will be no. You got that? … Okay, so let's start with… Hyuga Hinata and Inuzuka Kiba. Rock Lee and Nara Shikamaru. Hyuga Neji and Akimichi Choji."

'Please, PLEASE pair me up with Sasuke-kun,' Sakura pleaded, knowing what little chance there was. 'PLEASE! I'll do ANYTHING.'

"Uchiha Sasuke and Yamanaka Ino."

["WHAT THE HELL?!"] Sakura's jaw dropped and nearly scraped the floor, her facial expression clearly mirroring the disbelief that she felt. Ino smiled at her sympathetically.

Her best friend and her crush were going to be partners, working side-by-side. Why Ino and not her? A wave of jealousy began to wash over Sakura. She clutched hard at the hem of her skirt and struggled to calm herself.

Sakura sighed helplessly. 'Well, at least I can trust Ino not to slobber all over him like those other girls would.'

"Haruno Sakura and –"

'Yeah, this is okay. It's no big deal. There's no point in getting worked up over nothing, right?'

"Uzumaki Naruto."

* * *

**End of Chapter III; to be continued.**

I didn't really like this chapter and it's too short. But that's the way I wanted to end it, so yeah. Hope it turned out okay for you guys. Remember, please R&R!


	4. Hidden Emotions

**Life as I Know It** by miyazawa kano.

I finally got off my butt and wrote a brand new chapter. Now that I'm on holiday (booyeah!), I've got a lot more free time. This one turned out pretty good, I think, except it gets a little "blah" near the end. So far the story has been very clichéd, but I'm hoping that I'll be able to turn it around a little. Until the next chapter, enjoy!

'…' = What's going on inside Sakura's head.  
"…" = Your basic, normal, everyday chatter.  
[ … ] = The mildly insane ramblings of the lovable Inner Sakura.  
(…) = Random notes left by the authoress.  
  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Naruto_. Honest.

* * *

**  
Chapter IV: **Hidden Emotions

The cold water rained down on Sakura, plastering her thick hair to her bare body. She relished the feeling; cold showers always helped to clear her mind. It was almost like some oddly unorthodox form of meditation. Unorthodox, but soothing nonetheless. Sakura let her eyes shut lazily as she began to concentrate on the cool water trickling in rivulets down her face.

'I wonder if Ino and Sasuke-kun are going to walk to the library together…'

Sakura let out an exasperated sigh as she shook her head, defeated. No matter how hard she tried, the image of Sasuke and Ino alone together remained etched into her every thought. She knew it was innocent enough; they were just meeting to work on a class project, after all.

"So then why the hell do I feel so goddamn jealous?!" Sakura huffed sulkily, a vein or two becoming clearly visible.

She leaned over and twisted the shower knobs, allowing the flow of cool water to be abruptly cut off. Her cold shower meditation had proven itself ineffective for the very first time, Sakura realized wearily. After pulling open the shower curtain, she delicately stepped out onto the towel she'd lain out on the floor prior to getting in. After gently pulling at her hair with her towel, she stood over the bathroom sink and wrung the last few droplets of water out of her long hair.

Riiing.

…

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing.

"Okaasan!" Sakura shouted, hoping her mother would be able to hear her from behind the bathroom door. "Telephone!"

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiing.

"Okaasan!" she shouted again.

No answer. The phone continued to ring, almost as if it were purposely taunting her.

Sakura draped a towel around herself irritably, mumbling something or other about "always having to do all the work around here." She unceremoniously yanked open the bathroom door and proceeded to stomp down the hallway until she reached the telephone, determined to put an end to its incessant ringing.

"Yes?" Sakura grunted into the receiver, unable to mask the tone of aggravation in her voice.

"Hey! I wanna speak to Sakura-chan, pleeeease!"

"This is she…" Sakura mumbled reluctantly. There was no mistaking that excitable, pre-pubescent voice.

"Oh, hi, Sakura! I didn't even know it was you. Did you know that you sound really different on the phone?"

Twitch. "… Okay…"

"Oi, oi! Do you know who this is? Guess, guess!"

"I have absolutely no idea," Sakura replied flatly, deliberately feigning her inability to place him.

"Aww, it's Naruto. Your Science partner, remember?"

"Oh, right. That. So, um… do you need something?"

"I know that you'd said you'd call me later this week, but… I think it would be a good idea to get a head start on our project, don't you?"

"Uh, yeah, sure… but why?"

"Well, the truth is… erm… Asuma-sensei is failing me right now, and if I don't get a good grade on this project, I… Jeez, I might have to retake his class next year, so… C'mon, Sakura, pleeease? Help a guy out! PLEASE?"

"… Really? … Well, okay. I guess it couldn't hurt," she responded haltingly, after much contemplation.

"Yeah! Ahh, Sakura, you're the best! We're gonna have a really great time working together, I can tell!"

She could practically hear him dancing in the background.

"So how about we start today? I know! I'll meet you at that little sweetshop near your place, okay? How's 1 o'clock sound to you? And then we can work out all the details," Naruto piped gleefully.

"Err, today? Like… right now? Actually, I…" Sakura paused. "Hey, wait a minute. How did you know that there was a sweetshop near my house? … And how the heck did you get my phone number?! I distinctly remember NOT giving you my number!"

"… OkayIreallyhavetogonowbye!"

"Why you–"

Sakura was answered with a resounding click, signalling to her that the line was now dead. She angrily clenched her teeth as she slammed the phone back onto its hook. By now a small puddle of water had begun to pool around her still-wet form. Sakura mentally noted to make sure that it was mopped up as soon as she'd finished towelling herself dry, grumbling loudly as she headed back towards the bathroom.

'I can't believe that he actually _hung up_ on me.'  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_"Wow, you and Sasuke-kun are starting on your project already?" she asked, her chest tightening._

_"Mm, yeah. Both of us wanted to get it over with since we've got other stuff to do."_

_"Oh, makes sense…"_

_There was a discernible pause in the conversation. "Sakura, are you sure you're okay with this?"_

_"Hehe, yeah, didn't I say that I was? It's not like you two are going out on a date or anything," Sakura insisted, not wanting make Ino feel guilty.  
  
"…Yeah, exactly. We're just going to the library to do a little research is all."_

She went over her phone call with Ino for what must have been the thirtieth time. After cleaning up the little puddle she'd made and blow-drying her hair, Sakura had immediately retired to her bedroom to take a quick nap before she had to meet up with that little bakemono ("monster").

But instead she found herself curled up in her overstuffed armchair, her head resting on her knees, inwardly chanting that she would not let her feelings for Sasuke morph into something as ugly as jealousy. Especially if it were over something so trivial.

Sakura glanced at the face of the digital clock sitting on top of her nightstand. It was 11:42; about an hour and fifteen minutes until she had to meet Naruto at the sweetshop. What to do? She lolled her head, thinking. What was there to do until then?

And then it hit her. The library wasn't very far from her house. And around now was the time that Ino had said she and Sasuke would be working together. She could walk to the library first, just to pop in a say hi and maybe hang around for a bit, and then she could backtrack to the sweetshop and wait for Naruto to show up. It was a plan. Not a very good plan, but at least it would give her something to do… among other things.

Sakura jumped up and started looking for something to wear.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

She was dressed to kill.

Sakura double-checked her outfit as she neared the library. Sasuke had never seen her in casual clothing before, and she was determined to make a good impression. She had on a pair of faded, tight-fitting jeans, along with a fashionable black halter-top. And as a finishing touch, she had donned a vintage, sienna-coloured leather jacket.

She didn't really want to distract Ino and Sasuke from their research, but she just had to satisfy her curiosity. Ino wouldn't mind; she was always so understanding when it came to these things. Even though Sakura had markedly told her that she was perfectly comfortable knowing that Sasuke and her were partners, deep down she knew that Ino hadn't been convinced. She just couldn't hide anything from her best friend.

'Well, it's too late to turn back now,' she thought pointedly as she crossed the street directly in front of the library Ino had mentioned before.

Sakura bounded down the steps leading to the building's large, automatic main doors. The closer she came, the more excited she began to feel. She just couldn't wait to see Sasuke. They'd never met outside of school before, so she couldn't help but wonder how he would react. Sakura waited impatiently as the doors slid open, granting her entrance.

"So what was it that you had to tell me?"

Sakura stopped dead in her tracks. She knew that voice.

Sasuke.

She turned on her heel and began to gently tiptoe away from the library's doors and towards where she thought she'd heard his voice emanate from, just behind the corner of the building.

"Well?" she heard Sasuke say.

Sakura peered out from her vantage point, carefully making sure that she wouldn't be spotted by the two figures standing just around the corner.

Her eyes widened as she began to comprehend the scene taking place before her.

"The truth is…" Ino murmured quietly as she stared hard at the ground. "The truth is that I've always liked you, Sasuke-kun."

* * *

**End of Chapter IV; to be continued.**

Thanks for reading, and please R&R!


End file.
